Tahmena Bokhari
Toronto 43° 39' 12.53" N, 79° 23' 2.16" W Arts Literature Politics Person
Tahmena Bokhari is a Pakistani-Canadian beauty pageant titleholder and social worker. She was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and spent several childhood years in Faisalabad, Pakistan. She won Mrs. Pakistan World 2010 in Toronto and became the 3rd Pakistani woman in history to represent women on an international platform. When she won Mrs. United Nation International 2010, she became the first Pakistani woman to win an international pageant title for Pakistan.
She obtained her master's in social work from the University of Toronto and subsequently traveled abroad, working with orphans, victims of poverty, and natural disaster survivors. For six weeks, she worked in the relief efforts following the October 8, 2005 earthquake in Kashmir, including serving as a translator for foreign doctors.
As a college professor, Bokhari teaches social work at Seneca and George Brown colleges. She has worked as a consultant to governments and organizations, and as a public speaker and writer in the Greater Toronto Area. She focuses on diversity, ending violence against women, health (particularly cancer), and issues involving immigrants and settlement.
Bokhari is a strong advocate for ending violence against women. She has spoken out on the murder of a young Pakistani woman, Aqsa Parvez, which occurred in Mississauga, ON, in 2007 and has challenged the term "honour killing" popularized by the media since this murder.
Bokhari has also written about the issues of violence along with other social issues in her quest to work towards social justice. In addition, Bokhari is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusivity as well as a trainer and consultant on these issues.